Bali School Kids Sponsorship Program
Our guest speaker this morning, Rachel Ivic is a member of the Swan Valley Rotary club. She became a Rotarian after her experiences as a buddy at Handicamp. In 1999 she got her Rotary club involved in supporting young children living in Bali who were not going to school because they could not afford to pay for the associated costs such as uniforms, shoes and stationery items.
What amazing work she has been able to accomplish. From supporting just 4 children in 1999 to assisting some 674 children this year; the project has come a long way. The project provides support for children who would normally not go to school because the cost of the associated items is the equivalent of one month's pay for their parent/s. The schools themselves are supported by the Balinese government; but parents need to foot the bill for these additional costs. Today the project provides support for students in at least 12 schools across the countryside in Bali. Included in this is the provision of support for handicapped children in one of the special schools set up for children who have learning disabilities.
The funds also provide 6 scholarships for students to move from primary education into Junior High programs - this was added to their scope in 2010. They rely on sponsorship from people all over the world and are always looking for more opportunities in this area. Sponsors receive copies of the child's reports throughout the year as well as letters and drawings from the children themselves. In return the children get a bag full of goodies which includes school uniforms, shoes, socks, books and stationery items. These items are given to the most needy and are handed out on Distribution Day which has become an annual event on the school calendar. When school starts in July/August these children are involved in a Fun Day of activities, cultural events and the opportunity to get some free medical, dental and safety first advice and information. The schools compete against each other in some competitions, and the winning school is provided with some additional funding provided by the project.
RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) runs the project on behalf of the 3 Rotary Clubs involved. If people want to assist, they are always looking for sponsorship. Sponsoring one child for one year costs as little as $AUD130 and is tax deductible. If you are interested in getting involved, log onto their website: www.balischoolkids.org to find out how.
Thank you Rachel for a very enlightening talk this morning. The work you and your team are doing to support the ongoing education and well being of these children is amazing. Great work and thank you for sharing it with us.